Hungry Yin Loo and Cheng Wen storm into quarters in Holland

PETALING JAYA: Being home for three months without competing in any tournaments seems to have whetted the appetite of Lim Yin LooYap Cheng Wen.

And it showed in their performance as they scored a sensational 23-21, 21-17 win over home favourites Eefje Muskens-Imke Van der Aar to storm into the women’s doubles quarter-finals at the Dutch Open in Almere, Holland, yesterday.

The Malaysians will take on Nadia Fankhauser-Iris Tabeling of Switzerland for a place in the semi-finals.

The 29-year-old Yin Loo was happy to be back in competitive action after their first-round loss in the fifth-tier Malaysia International Series in July.

“It sure is good to be back playing in tournaments again. Cheng Wen and I have been working hard to prove ourselves after some dismal results,” said Yin Loo.

They started the year by reaching two straight semi-finals – in the Malaysia Masters and the Syed Modi International in January.

They have since failed to produce any significant results other than a quarter-final finish at the Macau Open in July.

World No. 19 Yin Loo-Cheng Wen are Malaysia’s second-ranked women’s doubles pair after world No. 14 Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei.

Malaysia’s third-ranked women’s doubles pair and world No. 22 Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean also did well to reach the quarter-finals in Almere on Thursday.

They defeated Olga Arkhangelskaya-Natalia Rogova of Russia 21-18, 21-15 to set up a meeting against Japan's Ayako SakuramotoYukiko Takahata next.

Shia Chun Kang-Tan Wee Gieen are Malaysia’s only men’s doubles pair competing in Almere and they face a tricky task against second seeds Takuto Inoue-Yuki Kaneko of Japan in the quarter-finals.